Member Spotlight

Annette Young

You know Annette. It's likely that she posted the last job that caught your eye on the Writergrrls list. She's the grrl with the practical advice at the zine meetings. And she's a brilliant assembler of Writergrrls social gatherings.

Annette Young is a woman in touch with both sides of her brain. An admitted math geek in high school and lover of rock 'n' roll, Annette makes the most of her creative logic, whether it's as a researcher and cataloger at Experience Music Project or as the Web site coordinator for Seattle Writergrrls.

Annette spent most of her childhood in Issaquah and attended Eastside Catholic High School in Bellevue. There she discovered a knack for math and science and seriously considered a path in engineering. She also played in both the concert and marching bands and took a few guitar lessons. But a love of writing and reading eventually led her to the English Department at Seattle University. Thinking she might later attend graduate school, Annette took the honors track.

After four years of hard-core studying on her way to a bachelor's degree, Annette became a receptionist at one of Seattle U's dormitories. The low-stress job provided a much needed break and allowed her to meet a diverse mix of people, but it inevitably fell short of her ambitions. After a year at the dorm, Annette signed on with Americorps, a community-minded government organization run by volunteers. Americorps placed her in projects ranging from working with Vietnam veterans in drug rehab, to teaching American history to Hispanic immigrants, to assisting in an archaeological dig. Annette toyed with the idea of becoming a full-time archaeologist, but still felt the pull of her writing talents. When she left Americorps, Annette felt she'd earned another degree—this one in flexibility, tolerance, and cooperation.

After her stint as a volunteer, Annette took the technical writing certification program at Bellevue Community College. She eventually landed a few assignments through the Write Stuff recruiting agency as an indexer, first with Encarta, then with the MSN search engine. Indexing is an art that challenges both her logical mind and her creativity. She refers to the job as an "organized brainstorm" that takes a human touch and could never be duplicated by a computer program. So, when a cataloging position with the new EMP became available, Annette knew she was perfect for the job. She let her extensive knowledge of contemporary music shine during her interview and got the job.

Annette has been involved with Seattle Writergrrls since its birth. A number of women from Seattle Webgrrls began meeting to discuss interests and opportunities in writing. After several meetings, the group gelled as a formal organization for female writers and created the Seattle Writergrrls e-mail list and Web site. Looking for some HTML experience, Annette volunteered to do work on the site. She eventually moved into the position of Web coordinator, in which she has served for a year and a half. In that time Annette has played an integral part in the redesign of the site and has learned a great deal about working with volunteers and contractors, networking, throwing together large social events, and, of course, managing a Web site. Writergrrls has also helped Annette tackle shyness—especially when she is known by so many on the e-mail list as the grrl with all the good dirt on job leads and writing events.

Annette, a firm believer in The Artist's Way, says she has little time for personal writing but manages a few "morning pages" almost every day. When she can manage it, she says it keeps her "focused and less disjointed" during her busy day. She works full time at EMP and, in her free time, she enjoys jogging and bike riding. She participated in the Seattle-to-Portland bicycle ride in 1995—a 195-mile, two-day event—and hopes to have time for this challenge again in the future. Annette enjoys theater and can often be found at local playhouses such as Book-It Theater. And, of course, Annette loves her music. The Showbox, the Sunset Tavern, and the Tractor are just a few of the small music venues that serve as her evening haunts: She says she indulges in "whatever I can afford and fit into my schedule."

Sunny Monroe wants to be a freelance writer/editor when she grows up. For the time being, she's happy volunteering, cooking, and walking around Greenlake with her hubby.